Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr has restated his belief that the internal review of Labor's 2010 election campaign he helped co-author should be publicly released.

The less controversial parts of the report are public, but Labor has kept secret sections critical of Kevin Rudd's government and Julia Gillard's performance during the election campaign.

Yesterday's blistering attack by former minister Lindsay Tanner against those who helped oust Mr Rudd has prompted some Labor figures to again call for the full review to be released.

Senator Carr, who co-authored the report with former Victorian premier Steve Bracks and NSW senator John Faulkner, has previously argued for the report to be released in full given that sections had already been selectively leaked by people intent on damaging people's reputations.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Senator Carr is standing by his comments.

"I can't retreat from that view," he said.

"I held the view at the time (and) naturally I hold it now."

The review recommended giving grassroots Labor members more say in the development of policy and for the party to foster original, community-based campaigns for change.

Mr Tanner argues the party has lost its proactive edge and is no longer the generator of big reform initiatives that it once was.

In a series of media interviews yesterday to publicise his new book, Mr Tanner also took aim at those who toppled Mr Rudd, saying the move was "unjustifiable" and an "extreme overreaction" to the problems facing the Government.

But Greens leader Christine Milne believes Labor would have lost the 2010 election with Mr Rudd as prime minister.

"I think it's a rewriting of history and a failure to remember just how quickly Rudd's popularity had declined to the point where the party was alarmed," Senator Milne told Lateline.

Preference talks

As a result of the hung parliament, Labor signed an alliance deal with the Greens to remain in power in return for series of commitments including the introduction of a carbon price.

Several high-profile ALP figures have since tried to distance the party from what they have described as the "extremist" Greens, with some arguing they should not do preference deals with the party.

Senator Milne says the parties have begun preference negotiations but there is no formal deal at this stage.

"Obviously the political parties are starting to talk to one another in a long, drawn-out process before next year and we certainly don't have any of those preference arrangements in place," she said.

"I don't underestimate the fact that I think the Labor Party, under influence of people like (NSW ALP secretary) Sam Dastyari, (AWU boss) Paul Howes and the like, will be trying desperately to say that Liberal and Labor should preference each other."

Senator Milne says that would leave a lot of Labor voters feeling worried that their vote might eventually go to the Liberals.